Antiseptic preparation



-55 While all of the cresols are suitable for use form the solvent and evaporation-retarding Patented Aug. 29, 1933 1 924,1 9

1,924,169 ANTISEPTIC PREPARATION John E. Stacey, Saugus, Mass., assignor to Otis Clapp & Son, Inc., Boston, Mass., a- Corporation of Massachusetts No Drawing. Application March 10, 1931 Serial No. 521,507

3 Claims. (Cl. 167-58) This invention relates to an antiseptic healin my antiseptic preparation, another aspect of ing preparation, possessing local anaesthetic my invention consists in the discovery that properties and especially suitable for use in the camphor in combination with meta-cresol forms treatment of wounds, burns and similar surface a more effective bactericide and antiseptic than lesions of the human body. Among the objects similar combinations with the other cresols. In 50 of my invention are to provide a preparation of addition, in preparing the antiseptic product this kind having the characteristics of rapidity with camphor, I have found that the combinaof penetration, of increased germicidal activity tion between meta-cresol and camphor may be and of decreased toxicity. completed in about three or four hours while 10 My invention utilizes in such a preparation, the other cresols require much longer periods of 5 one or more of the cresols in combination with time. The rather disagreeable odors which acartificial or natural camphor or homologues company ortho-cresol and para-cresol are not thereof. The cresol of the preparation exhibits present in meta-cresol. Hence the preferred strong antiseptic properties, causes a marked form of my product, containing meta-cresol, is

local anaesthetic effect, and serves to diminish more agreeable to the sense of smell than prodbleeding in the case of wounds. The camphor ucts containing the other cresols. of the preparation performs, in relation to the The preparation, containing cresol and camcresol, the function of neutralizing the usual phor in the approximate proportion'of one to caustic action of cresol on human tissue. In three, preferably includes, in addition, suitable 20 addition, the camphor stimulates the tissue at non-irritating, compatible organic solvent mathe seat of the injury. This effect is valuable terial which prevents the uncombined portion in counteracting the tendency of the anaesthetic of camphor from crystallizing, particularlyat action of cresol to cause diminution of blood low temperatures, and maintains the principal supply at the affected part. therapeutic ingredients of the preparation in a 25 The camphor and cresol of my improved antihomogeneous state in the preferred proportions septic preparation should be present in a homoin which they are incorporated. It is desirable geneous mixture, in general in the ratio of apalso that this solvent material be capable of reproximately three parts of camphor to one part tarding evaporation of the camphor. This preof cresol, by weight.- I am unable completely ferred efiect of the solvent aids in making a 30 to explain the chemical relations which exist greater proportion of the camphor available at between these ingredients of the preparation, but the place of application of the preparation.

I believe that the cresols and camphor in part For this reason, the solvent material preferably. react to form one or more molecular addition is an oily, Somewhat Viscous, Substance of Wh c compounds, very materially depressing the perthe rate of evaporation at room temperature or 35 centage of free cresol present at any given time body heat is about the same, or less than (but in the mixture. Observations of the heat of not substantially greater than) that of camphor. reaction in mixing series of liquid solutions of Various solvent materials meet these sevt the cresols and of caiTphor-indicate that at q i m n nd r s it ble for use in some room temperature the reaction between these c Amon these r benzyl l b n yl 40 ingredients is predominantly in the molecular benzoate, ben'zyl acetate, phenylethyl alcohol, ratio of 2 to 1. This is borne out by studies of n l h 'm n 01 My preference is for a other physical properties of the camphor-cresol SOIVGIlt consisting Of a non-irritating, llOIl-tOXiC complex. Apparently the combination of cresol essential Oil o the terpene g o p, by wh ch and camphor exists in such equilibrium relao p I mean to i d e te p e hydro- 45 tionship that there is always available an efiecc rbons and their derivatives. Instances of tive percentage content of cresol and that, as preferred oils of this class are the essential oils this is used up, the camphor-cresol complex is Ofpine (Templin 011), P Pinus p ris subject to progressive dissociation. I question, nd fraction e Pinus m l F rm 8% however, whether this observed action of the vestris, and of pine needles. These and oth 50 mixture can be wholly explained n strictly similar essential oils are to bepreferred as in-. chemical grounds as biochemical reactions in.- gredients o performing e described solvent volving the reaction of cresol on living tissue, and evaporation-retarding action since they are concerning which very little is known, probably of themselves suitable useful germicidal agents. should also be considered. Another group of substances suitable to perof the minimum required to maintain a homo-' functions are the balsams of the oleo-resinous type, such for example as balsam of Peru, balsam of Styrax, balsam of copaiba, Mecca balsam, and Balsam of fir Canadian and Oregon, those balsams, such as balsam of Peru and balsam of Styrax, which contain benzoic and cinnamic acid are preferred because of their ,of temperature to which the preparation may be subjected, (preferably a sufficient quantity being incorporated to prevent crystallization of the camphor at zero degree centigrade, or if desired at still lower temperatures). The presence in the preparation of ingredients other than the cresol and camphor may also in some degree influence the quantity of solvent which should be employed to render the camphor noncrystallizable at low temperatures.- In the event that the preparation is to consist solely of, for example, meta-cresol approximately 21 parts, camphor, approximately 63 parts, and oil of pine needles, this latter ingredient may be prescut to the extentof approximately 16 parts, although such amount of oil is probably in'excess geneous mixture at any temperature likely to be encountered.

Obviously several solvent materials may be used in place of one; thus, part or all of the above-described essential oil may well be replaced by balsam.

The bactericidal action of the above combination, comprising chiefly meta-cresol and camphor, has been tested and found effective within required limits against such bacteria as Bacillus typhosus (Hopkins), Bacillus coli, Streptococcus hemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus anthracis, and Staphylococcus albus.

My improved antiseptic healing preparation is characterized by the desirable combination of a high germicidal power and a low toxicity. The product is but sparingly soluble in watery fluids such as blood, and has a very low'surface tension. This combination of characteristics is deemed of value. The fact that the product is only sparingly soluble in water is believed to diminish the rate of absorption of the product into the system and to diminish coagulation of the blood. The low surface tension is believed to facilitate the rapid penetration of the product into all of the minute parts of a wound or burn.

The product is capable of stimulating granulation of the affected parts and hence promotes healing.

The antiseptic product described above is intended to be applied full strength in a liquid form. Its therapeutic properties are available, however, when it is in a diluted state. example, the full-strength product is capable of being made into ointments in the forms of creams and salves by the addition of a suitable ointment base which may containv such tissue feeding substances. as lanoline as well as ingredients which impart to the ointment a creamy consistency. In this form, the product is of For 1 diminished strength and constitutes a bland protective agent for promoting healing of Wounds and burns. This form of the product is preferably applied after a preliminary or first aid treatment with the full strength product in a liquid form. A preferable proportion for the cream or salve consists of one part of the fullstrength' product to nine parts of ointment base, although this ratio is capable of wide variation. Many compatible diluents for the liquid form of the product are available, among these being mineral oil (liquid petrolatum), or certain vegetable oils such as olive and linseed oils, or mixtures of these, such diluents assisting also in.

preventing adhesion of a dressing to the aifected tissue.

The improved preparation may likewise be diluted in firm unctuous form, for permanent dressings, by the use therewith of beeswax, cerasin, ozokerite, soft or hard petroleum, animal fats such as wool fat, or metallic oleates such as sodium oleate.

As explained above, the preferred ratio of oresol-to camphor in the preparation is one part of cresol to three parts of camphor by weight. Increases in the cresol content tend to impart to the mixture an increasingly caustic effect. When the preparation is to be used full strength in the liquid form containing for example, metacresol, camphor and oil of pine needles and balsam Peru, it is recommended that the cresol content be not allowed to exceed a ratio represented by 1 part by weight of cresol to 2.6 parts by weight of camphor. Obviously higher proportions of cresol might be employed for definite uses of'the product if the caustic effect is kept sufficiently low, as by dilution to a suffi cient extent, or if the product is to be used in such a way that some caustic action is not harmful. However it has thus far been found unnecessary to use a greater proportion of cresol than is represented by 1 part by weight of cresol to 3 parts by weight of camphor, at which proportion the product is almost free of caustic action, while yet having a high germicidal effect.

It is to be understood that when I refer to the relative proportions of cresol and camphor in the preparation, I intend to include only cresol which would be in. its active caustic state were it not for the modifying action of the camphor thereon. Obviously my invention does not exclude the possibility of the employment of my improved product with an excess of cresol therein, such excess being suitably rendered noncaustic by some ingredient other than camphor.

The camphor content of the product may obviously be increased with respect to the cresol content, although such increase is deemed to be unnecessary and to diminish the efliciency of the germicidal product. For example I have experimentally made a preparation in which the proportions of cresol and camphor were 1 to 4, the product containing 16.73 parts by weight of cresol and 66.95 parts by weight of camphor, and 41.32 parts by weight of oil of pine needles, this latter ingredient maintaining the mixture in the form of a homogeneous liquid even at low temperature. 1 For ordinary use, however, the camphor should probably not 'be present to a. greater extent than is represented by 3.5 parts of camphor to 1 part of cresol. I prefer to use 3 parts of camphor and 1 part of cresol.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modiflca- 3. An antiseptic preparation including-as ingredients a cresol selected from a group consisting of ortho-cresol, para-cresol and metacresol and camphor in approximately the ratio of 1 to 3 by weight and an ingredient selected from a group consisting of essential oils of the terpene series and balsam of the oleo-resinous type.

JOHN E. STACEY. 

